Two individuals who conspired to kill a Philadelphia trainer final April, concentrating on her within the drive-thru of a Dunkin’ Donuts as she sat within the automobile along with her son, had been discovered responsible of first-degree homicide Thursday and sentenced to life in jail. The murder-for-hire plot had been orchestrated out of vengeance over the fallout of a love affair, prosecutors mentioned.
After a four-day trial, a jury in Montgomery County convicted Julie Jean, 35, and Zakkee Alhakim, 34, within the taking pictures of 35-year-old Rachel King on the Melrose Procuring Middle in Cheltenham.
King, who lived in Elkins Park and taught at Grover Cleveland Elementary College in North Philadelphia, was taking her 11-year-old son to violin apply on April 11 when Alhakim approached the driving force’s aspect of her SUV and fired a number of pictures by means of the window, police mentioned. King died on the scene. Her son, who watched the taking pictures unfold from the backseat, was unhurt bodily. Alhakim fled in a Mercury Sable that authorities mentioned Jean had bought for him lower than two weeks earlier to hold out the killing.
Jean beforehand had been in a 10-month relationship with King’s fiancé, William Hayes, investigators mentioned. Hayes ended the connection and selected to prioritize his future with King, however authorities mentioned Jean insisted on remaining part of Hayes’ life. She allegedly harassed him with calls, texts and unannounced visits till Hayes obtained court-ordered safety from Jean in December 2022.
Alhakim is the cousin of the daddy of Jean’s three kids. The identical day King was killed, police arrested Alhakim in reference to a separate killing in Philadelphia on April 7. In the course of the investigation of that taking pictures, police had recognized the Mercury Sable that was used within the taking pictures of King. The automobile had been bought in Jean’s named for $1,500 on March 30, prosecutors mentioned. Jean and Alhakim had been collectively on the automobile dealership in North Philadelphia.
Textual content messages between Jean and Alhakim confirmed that they allegedly started planning to kill King in mid-February, police mentioned. Alhakim’s cellphone had photographs of King and a Google Maps picture of King’s condo complicated in Elkins Park, together with a crimson arrow that confirmed a path to her house, investigators mentioned. One other picture allegedly confirmed Jean’s hand holding her personal cellphone, which displayed an image of King.
Montgomery County prosecutors mentioned Jean and Alhakim didn’t have a direct, private relationship with King.
Within the hours after King was killed, Jean allegedly despatched Alhakim a message on CashApp that included a $5 fee and a directions for the 2 of them to fulfill with out their telephones.
Prosecutors mentioned Alhakim used a privately-made ghost gun within the shootings in Philadelphia and Cheltenham. A photograph of the gun allegedly was discovered on Alhakim’s cellphone in the course of the investigation of King’s demise. Bullet casings from each scenes had been matched utilizing a nationwide ballistics database, prosecutors mentioned.
Within the aftermath of King’s demise, she was remembered by household, buddies, colleagues and college students who recalled her dedication as a mom and educator. She taught at Grover Cleveland Elementary for 10 years.
After the decision was learn Thursday, King’s father, Allen, lamented the tragic consequence that claimed his daughter’s life, NBC10 reported.
“There actually had been no winners at the moment. This was not a successful scenario in any respect,” King mentioned. “My daughter is gone. This doesn’t convey her again. We’re glad to have reminiscences of her however my coronary heart grieves.”
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